With 2015 coming to a close, I started looking at my favorite moments and posts on Instagram (@playpartyplan) and so many of them were from one trip – my trip to Beaches in Turks and Caicos Villages & Spa in October as part of the Social Media on the Sand conference. Thanks to Beaches and all of the amazing sponsors who gave me such an amazing opportunity! It’s taken me three months to finally go through my photos and capture my favorite moments from the trip; better late than never right? Along with photos of the amazing scenery, over the next month I’ll be sharing my favorite things to do, the best things to eat, things you should know before your own trip to Beaches, and last but not least, what it means to be part of the incredible #BeachesMoms program. Like all my posts, this post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.

Let’s start it off with my favorite part – 10 must-do activities at Beaches Turks and Caicos! My husband and I went alone so these activities are written from an adult perspective, but all of them would be great for the kids as well. Beaches is the ultimate luxury family destination so make sure to check back for my other posts to see more about the amazing things Beaches has to offer families.

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#1 – Drink a frozen drink on the beach with a bendy straw. This could have an entire post of its own on how amazing the bendy straws were and all of the different types of drinks available! I’ve never seen straws that bend so well. I may have bought a bunch of these ones on Amazon when I got home to feed my straw addiction.

But back to the drinks. One of the coolest features of Beaches is that EVERYTHING is included and I’m talking everything. I don’t actually drink alcohol so I’ve always been a little apprehensive about going to an all-inclusive and worried about whether the value would be good enough or not without the alcohol.

I never should’ve worried. Pretty sure I drank my body weight in non-alcohol frozen drinks. And juices. And sodas. All for no charge whatsoever other than the price you pay for your base room rate. The only regret I have is not finding the mocktail menu until two days into our vacation because who knew that they offered drinks like jungle juice (AMAZING!) and pink boots.

#2 – Enjoy the free water sports. Yes, I said free. All water sports, even scuba diving, are included! They have everything from wind surfing to sailing to snorkeling that you can just try out. There is a set schedule for how it all works, so make sure to check back later in January for what you need to know before your Beaches vacation, which includes details about their water sports.

#3 – Get a hot-stone massage or two. I started my vacation off Wednesday morning with a hot-stone massage at the Red Lane Spa and finished off my vacation with another hot-stone massage Saturday night. And you guys, they were both amazing. My husband and friend Heidi’s husband both got deep tissue massages and both came out equally relaxed. The spa is one of the only things that’s not included in the base price but it’s SO worth it. You’re on vacation, splurge a little and just enjoy it.

#4 – Go on a water slide. Or lounge along on the lazy river. There’s an entire water park in the middle of the resort and it’s not just for kids. With its lazy river, multiple water slides, and wave simulator it’s perfect for a few hours of fun for adults and a few days worth of fun for kids! It almost made me wish I’d brought my toddler with me to enjoy the splash areas and lazy river; almost. We spent an afternoon at the water park and wish we’d made it two afternoons rather than just one.

#5 – Be a kid. Speaking of kids, one of my biggest recommendations is to be a kid yourself while you’re there. Beaches is the perfect location for families but if you prefer to travel with just our significant other or girlfriends, you can still take advantage of all of the kid-friendly amenities they offer. Everything from an open all night burger + milkshake place (in a boat!) to air hockey and even kid and teen parties and activities each night. We may or may not have crashed the late night foam party that was designed for teens but ended up being one of my favorite things we did all week. You’re on vacation so go down the tallest water slide, hang out with Sesame Street characters, kiss a pirate (like Cheryl) and just stop adulting for a few days.

#6 – Eat at Kimonos. I’m writing an entire post about 10 things you have to eat while you’re at Beaches but Kimonos is more than just something to eat; it’s an experience. Take everything you know about Hibachi Grills and amp it up by 500% and you have Kimonos. From the tasting menu to the singing chefs, it’s just one experience you don’t want to miss out on. Kimonos is the only restaurant at Beaches that requires reservations so make sure to make your reservation as soon as you arrive to make sure you get to see a Hibachi Chef singing Livin’ on a Prayer.

#7 – Find the “secret spot” to take gorgeous photos. Pretty sure anywhere on the Beaches grounds’ could make for an amazing photo but there’s one villa that actually has an elevator that goes up to what our photographer course instructor called the “secret spot.” It’s in one of the blue villas and worth searching for. Everything was gorgeous but the views from the secret spot were just phenomenal.

#8 – Watch a sunrise, sunset, or both. While I never had the chance to watch a sunrise during our trip (hello no kids and sleeping in), the sunset was absolutely breathtaking and I can just imagine the sunrise would be just as beautiful, if not even more so. And you’ll likely be outside in the evening anyway because well, why would you be inside when you’re at Beaches, so just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

#9 – Relax on the beach. Since we’re already talking about relaxing, I’ll just point out the obvious one – relaxing on the beach. I mean you’re at Beaches, so you better take some time to enjoy the incredible beach that comes with it. Miles and miles of white sand, the clearest water I’ve ever seen, and just amazing views. All day, every day. I’m honestly not the biggest beach person but that’s because normally the beaches I visit are gross. After visiting Beaches, I’m a beach convert and honestly I spent more than half my time talking in the water with Heidi and Cheryl (while our husbands commiserated about being blogger spouses) or just chilling on the beach. I could’ve honestly stayed there all day and all night if I’d thought to bring a pillow with me.

And did I mention that they have servers who bring you towels, drinks, and pretty much anything else you could want right on the beach? So when I’m saying I could’ve stayed there without moving, I’m not kidding.

#10 – Drink directly from a coconut. My husband is a coconut water addict. Every time we go on a cruise or a trip to the Caribbean he makes a point of finding a fresh coconut. We’d seen pictures prior to going to Beaches of people drinking directly from coconuts and made it our mission to find the restaurant where we could get coconuts.

And we failed. After searching for coconuts all over the resort, we asked someone about it.

And you guys, someone went up in one of the coconut trees and cut us down a coconut to drink from. That’s the kind of service you get at Beaches – they climb to any height (even as high as a coconut tree) and go above and beyond to give you a level of service that’s only available at Beaches.

Our trip to Turks & Caicos definitely makes my top 10 list of all-time vacations and we’ve been to some pretty amazing places from Greece to Hawaii. I can only hope to be invited back again next year to enjoy the gorgeous scenery, hand picked coconut water, and good times!

Britni Vigil is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to www.amazon.com.